The March Gang

It has been a while since we have posted anything, because we have been waiting on internet.  This country is very laid back.  We called for phone service on September 29th, and we were suppose to get service on October 16th.  They then called and moved it back to October 22nd.  Hopefully they won’t move it back again.  Every time we get to use the internet we have been trying to catch up on e-mails.

Thank you God we finally got a car on Wednesday.  We have been depending on David & Farrah to take us everywhere.  They have been really great and we appreciate their help, but when you have two families of five each depending on one car that seats five it can be difficult.  I know it has only been three weeks without one, but it seems like longer when you have to walk.  We got a seven seater Vauxhall Zafira Comfort.  The vehicles over here are mostly standards.  It has been over 7 years since we have had a standard, so on top of getting used to that again, we also have to get used to driving opposite of what we are used to.  I haven’t drove yet, but Riley is having fun and making some of us (including Bro. Mac & David) nervous.  We will try to post some pictures soon of the car.  It is like a little mini-van.

I also got a washing machine on Monday.  Our laundry was piling up and they do not have laundry mats over her, so I am very thankful.  The laundry was getting so bad that we (me and the kids) started washing clothes in the bath tub.  They thought it was a lot of fun, so I tried not to spoil that illusion for them.  We do not have a dryer, but most people don’t.  We hang laundry out on the line when it is not raining, which is maybe 1 day a week, for about 30 minutes.  We then hang them inside on the radiators, which makes good dryers.  The washer is so small, I can get 5 towels or 4 pairs of jeans at a time.  It then takes 1 hour 50 minutes (I timed it) to wash.  So, by the time the washer is done the clothes are dry.  It is not that bad, just time consuming.  It is however, much better than the bath tub.

We got a kitchen table and 6 chairs made from Mexican pine, from a charity shop.  They match my cabinets perfect.  It was so nice to get something to set on. For a while we were eating on the dining room floor.  It was like having a picnic every meal.  We have a beautiful home, but no furniture.  We are trying to find some cheap, but nice furniture at the charity shops, while being on a tight AIMers budget.  They have a lot of these shops over here, but they are much nicer than our Goodwill’s.  Ethen & Lori, you would love them.  We find a lot of good deals.

We have been having some great services at church.  A couple Wednesday nights ago, we had an awesome move of God.  I was out in the foyer e-mailing some people before church started, when I felt an awesome power of God sweep over me.  I went inside and we all just started praying.  We ended up having an 1 1/2 payer meeting.  I really felt God birthing somethings in us.  We had a girl receive the Holy Ghost that night.  Every service we have, God meets us in such a special way.  Riley preached a couple weeks ago on Sunday and then did bible study Wednesday night.  He did a great job both times.

Riley has been busy helping Bro. Mac working on their house.  We they got back from deputation they discovered a bad water leak that has ruined several rooms in their home.  Riley has been using his years of experience in the construction field.  He didn’t realize how much he actually knew, until he was put to the test.  He did learn a lot from his father.  However, Riley says that ripping out floors in not rocket science.

Riley attended his first traditional Irish funeral on Thursday.  There are no funeral homes , like in the States, in this country so the body stays at the home.  The funeral begins at the home, select family and friends rotate carrying the casket while walking towards the church.  Once all the family and friends who wanted to carry or was asked to carry their loved one, the casket is then put in the hearse.  They then get in their cars and drive the remaining distance to the church.  In some cases they walk the entire way.  Bro. Kyle (a man from our church) played the bagpipes and wore the traditional Irish dress(kilt and his family tartan).  He was the son-in-law to the man who passed away.  He played the bagpipes at church for our anniversary service and he was great.  He played with such anointing.  Every time Riley hears him play Amazing Grace he starts to cry.  He is a professional bagpipe player.

We live in the village of Donacloney(Donna-clone-e).  From our house to the village is about 1/2 mile.  We walk there quite a bit(especially since we didn’t have a car).  It is a nice little place.  We have a Surgery, which is the Doctors Office, a Chemist, which is the Pharmacy, a Butcher shop, a Chinese Take-away, a take away Fish & Chips, a beauty shop, and a grocery store, which is really a gas station.  We have tried the Chinese take away, and it was really good.  We have been to the Surgery already.  Peyton got bite by something and got a really bad infection on her knee.  There are many spiders here, but they say no poisonous ones, I think Peyton found the only one here.  It got so bad she couldn’t walk without it hurting.  She had 2 different spots on her knee.  The Doctor was really nice and we like him a lot.  He said the he had never seen anything like that.  She is doing much better now.  Over here anyone under 16 gets free medical help, so that was really a blessing.  We didn’t have to pay for her Dr. visit or her medication,  even though I gave them all our insurance information.  Riley says that Obama would love it over here.

Well, I think I now have you caught up in our lives.  We love you all and miss you greatly.  Please keep us in your prayers.